Amiodarone has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties: an experimental study in rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema.

Amiodarone is a widely used anti-arrhythmic agent. We have investigated alterations in the glutathione (GSH) level and the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione s-transferase and glutathione reductase) and myeloperoxidase, as marker of acute inflammation, following oral administration of amiodarone and diclofenac in rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema. In the present study, we found that 1) Amiodarone reduced the development of carrageenan-induced paw edema, to a greater degree than diclofenac; 2) Amiodarone and diclofenac alleviated increases in the activities of catalase and glutathione s-transferase enzymes resulting from edema; 3) Amiodarone and diclofenac ameliorated depressions in the GSH level and the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase enzymes caused by carrageenan injection; and 4) All doses of amiodarone and diclofenac caused an amplification in myeloperoxidase activity resulting from induced paw edema. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of amiodarone on carrageenan-induced acute inflammation can be attributed to its ameliorating effect on the oxidative damage.